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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24760519">Brilliance Of A Dying Star</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixelatedRose/pseuds/PixelatedRose'>PixelatedRose</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Bomb mention, Bombing, M/M, Nonbinary Logan, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, unsympathetic Virgil (kind of)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:29:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,973</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24760519</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PixelatedRose/pseuds/PixelatedRose</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Roman Prince lives in a world where the population is split between super powered people and normal people. These super powers were soon named Flaire. And even though he desperately wished he had a Flaire of his own, Roman lives life working in a cat cafe alongside his coworkers, a few of which have Flaires. His life is fairly normal and tragically mundane until a local superhero crashes into his apartment.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders, Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Morality | Patton Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>37</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Golden Eyes</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>  Roman Prince walked along the side of the street in the brilliant red and purple light of the quickly dying sun. His guitar slung over his shoulder and the people in the streets dwindling. His yellow converse he had drawn leaves and flowers on, now starting fade. A particular scuff mark on the toe of the right foot encased with a fond memory.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Above him, a young girl with wings for arms flew scarily close to his head. “S-Sorry!!!” She yelled behind her, her flight wobbly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman turned and called back, a smile on his face. “It’s fine!! Keep up the good work, Auri!!” He kept walking before he heard a crash and a rustle of leaves a ways behind him, followed by Auri's yelp. He smiled at the ground and shook his head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He walked on as a boy with four sets of eyes passed him by. He walked on when a person made entirely out of rocks sat watering his plants. He walked on when a girl with hooves and spiraling horns sat playing hop-scotch with her little friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He only paused when he reached the door to the small, beat up apartment building.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Home sweet home!” Roman smiled, opening the pale and faded green door. He walked around to the stairs, shooting finger guns to the man at the front desk. Roman climbed the steps to the third and top floor, trying not to internally complain about the elevator being broken. Only two rooms on this floor, roman turned to the one on the left and put his key into the lock.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He greeted his house with a bright smile, knowing no one was there to return it. “Hello, house…” He whispered, throwing his keys into the bowl near the door. He pulled off his jacket and slung it over the back of one of the kitchen chairs as he made his way to the solemn couch in the room, flopping down on it over the arm, letting his feet dangle off the edge. He removed his earbuds from his pocket and took out his phone, selecting spotify as he plugged in the buds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Pressing play on his playlist, Roman sat and took in the last of the day.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~•~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The world where Roman lived was an exciting one. Or at least it </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> been. Things had much lost their glamour after the first age of powers showing up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  In this world, the population was at a fairly equal split between people with Flaires and people without Flaires. No one quite knew who first started calling the powers popping up ‘Flaire’ but it was clear </span>
  <em>
    <span>why</span>
  </em>
  <span>. All these new people surely had much flair, so the world thought it was clever to start calling the powers Flaire.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Flaires worked and presented themselves in many different fashions. A few of the kids in Roman’s neighborhood had physical Flaires, like Auri. Roman knew of more that had Flaires that let them shoot lightning from their hands or could bend light with their hands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman though? He didn’t have a Flaire. He was okay with that, but it did make him upset from time to time. As a kid, he’d always wanted to be a hero. He wanted to help and save people so badly it almost crushed him when he found out he didn’t have a Flaire. But he managed. He was happy. He liked where he worked, he'd come to terms with his financial situation, and he was alive. He was alive and alive was good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~•~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  It had been a few minutes and Roman was starting to drift off into sleep when he heard something shatter from his bedroom. He tore off his earbuds and bolted upright, his heart pounding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He listened closely as he heard someone curse from the room, the door only barely cracked open, so small you couldn’t see in.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman quietly got off his couch, moved into the kitchen and grabbed a knife from the counter and swiftly slunk behind the cracked door. From outside, he could hear something else- something </span>
  <em>
    <span>big</span>
  </em>
  <span>- moving around. He tried to ignore it and creeped up behind the door, holding his breath and calming his heart, gripping the handle of the knife till his knuckles turned white, he threw open the door and swung wildly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?!” Roman shouted, his voice breaking slightly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>So much for a manly approach to this…</span>
  </em>
  <span> he thought with fear latching onto his heart.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  But after seeing the intruder, he had to reevaluate everything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The intruder was dressed in an elaborate costume, a black and yellow hood thrown up over their head and a yellow scarf wrapped around their neck and obscuring the lower half of their face. They wore a loose yellow shirt that tucked into their black gloves, over the shirt they wore a baggy, sleeveless black top that tucked into their pants. In fact, everything about the outfit seemed loose and baggy, including the black pants they wore which tucked into their knee high black boots. They almost looked like some sort of fantasy assassin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The intruder was on the ground, ducked behind Roman’s bed. When Roman had barged in loudly yelling, they bolted upright and grabbed Roman’s wrist, twisting it and forcing him to drop the knife. They put a hand over Roman’s mouth before he could scream and pushed him hard against the wall, still holding his wrist.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The something big moved again outside, it sounded almost mechanical. The intruder slowly sunk to the ground, forcing roman down with them. As they shrunk, a grey sheet seemed to materialize over them. Roman could see through it though, the way you can see through normal cloth from one side, but not be seen from the other.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  If Roman’s mouth had been free, he was sure he would have shrieked when a bright shining light, reminiscent of a large eye, peered in through his broken and tattered blinds.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The intruder moved in closer, pressing up against Roman, making them smaller. It seemed they were like that for forever, the tension so thick you could spread it on bread and eat it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Finally, </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the thing passed and the two listened soundlessly to the thing retreating. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>, the intruder got up, the grey sheet vanishing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman stayed on the ground, in shock. He silently watched as the intruder peered out the broken window before sighing and starting to climb back out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “W-wait!!” Roman shouted, finally getting a hold on himself. “You can’t just </span>
  <em>
    <span>leave</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The intruder stopped and turned, their golden-amber eyes not quite matching one another, the cold venom staring out at Roman. “Yes.” They said, their voice slightly husky and rough. “I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” And without a warning, they leapt back out the window.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman rushed to try and catch them, but found himself watching as the intruder ran on the air as if it was as solid as the ground below them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And in a moment that only someone that lived in Newflower City could experience, Roman huffed to himself. “That fabulous bastard broke my window!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~•~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman woke up shivering. He had placed cardboard sheets over the broken frame and taped it, but that wasn’t going to help much with the cold. He sighed and rolled out of bed, thinking of the obvious hero that had crashed into his apartment the night before. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I hope they caught whoever they were trying to fight...And I hope no one was hurt by that </span>
  </em>
  <span>thing</span>
  <em>
    <span>…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Roman thought as he got ready for the day. He shook off any anxiety he had in his heart and glanced over at the clock before panicking. He was going to be late for work.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman rushed out the door, and started running. He only just caught the bus when he texted his boss and coworker.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Hey, Vee, I’m running a bit late today. Tell Logan to save me a muffin or something for me, will ya?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman let out a puff of air before remembering something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Oh yeah, I have one hell of a story for you later, don’t let me forget.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A few minutes passed before his phone buzzed again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>Emo Nightmare: Ight, I’ll make sure specs saves you something. And what could possibly happen between last night and now that merits ‘one hell of a story’?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman closed the chat with his friend and hyped himself up for the story he was going to be able to tell.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He walked in the door of the Catfé and quietly rushed himself into the back to put on his apron.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey! You’re late, Prince!” Roman’s coworker, Alice,  hissed. “You were late last saturday too! Why don't you just set an alarm?” She asked, handing him a blueberry muffin.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It messes with my beauty sleep! If I’m awoken by that </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible </span>
  </em>
  <span>beeping, I’d never look good again in my life!” Roman said, ignoring the fact that he hadn’t had time to brush his hair that morning, instead opting to take a bite of his muffin. “God, this is good…” Roman said under his breath. “Hey, Lo!! You’re the best baker ever, you know that!!” He called to the baker who was taking bread out of the oven.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I know, now if only you could manage to get here on </span>
  <em>
    <span>time</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” They said, sighing and pushing their glasses up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey!! A man needs his beauty sleep! It’s hard work to look this pretty!” Roman said, heading out to the front to begin his shift.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Oh, is </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> right, Princey?” A teasing, smooth voice asked from the counter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman huffed. “Hey there, Virge. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>yes</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> right.” Roman watched his friend laugh softly before yelling back to Alice to get Virgil’s coffee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “So what’s this story you have for me?” Virgil asked, leaning forward with his elbows on the table.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman smiled. “Well-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Someone on the other side of the counter cleared their throat. A woman with a neat hair bun and slim suit stood near the order counter, her prehensile demon tail flicking back and forth in impatience.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman sighed. “I’ll tell you during break, I gotta run. Besides, don’t you need to let the cats out?” He asked before sliding over to take the woman’s order. By the time he was done, Virgil was gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Soon, little feline figures began to file out of a cat door in one of the back rooms. Five, six, seven- ten!! Eleven cats poured out and around the area, climbing on cat towers built into the structure and flopping down into cat beds on the ground. One particular cat wiggled his butt and launched himself onto the counter towards Roman. That is before being caught midair by Virgil.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Sorry, Ro! Merlin missed you yesterday, you know how it is.” He apologised.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman laughed and reached forward, petting the grey ragdoll. "I missed you too, buddy!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~•~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman loved his job working at the cat cafe. It was owned by a nice man who had a big heart. And even though Roman was just a small time barista, him and Thomas got along splendidly. Thomas had known Logan for a very long time and wanted them to be his baker and Virgil had gotten recommended by Logan, Roman however, had only known any of them for two years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Of course in those two years he’d gone camping twice with Logan and Thomas, gone to the aquarium twice times with Virgil and once with Logan, and spent every break they had sitting on the counter in the back talking, laughing and teasing one another as Logan baked raspberry thumbprint cookies for the three of them and the golden haired boy they obviously had a crush on.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And on the weekends, Virgil and Logan and sometimes Alice and Thomas would agree to let Roman drag them to the gay bars he played at with his small time band. And when everything was all over, they’d all relax and have a few drinks before parting ways. They had started to become a tight knit family of sorts.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman couldn’t be happier with his friends and his job. He had left his desires for a Flaire behind him. He was okay being normal if normal meant his friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~•~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “So,” Virgil started, pulling himself up onto the counter in the back with a blackberry soda in hand. “Tell us about this crazy thing that happened to you last night, Ro. What was it? You broke a plate? Your neighbor is actually ten giant bees in a trench coat? Oh oh oh!! I got it! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Aliens</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Virgil began laughing as Roman swatted at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Har, har.” Roman said flatly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Honestly, Virgil, the only mystery here is how you manage to find the strangest flavored drinks. Last week it was mint.” Logan said, amusement twitching the edges of their lips as they dodged under Virgil’s pitiful blows. “Roman? Do tell what happened to provoke such a dramatic reaction from you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Thank</span>
  </em>
  <span> you, Logan!” Roman flourished and jumped onto the counter next to Virgil.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He relayed the break in and his encounter with the hero, embellishing a bit here and there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Wow…” Virgil said, crushing his soda can and tossing it at the recycling can across the room, cursing when he just barely missed. “What a bitch...See this is what I’ve been talking about,” He jumped off the counter and picked up his can. “Heroes are just stuck up bastards who have no consideration for everyday people like us…” He tossed the can away and turned back toward Roman, leaning against the wall. “You should sue for property damage, Ro. Find out who they were and sue.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman waved his hand. “Honestly that just sounds like more trouble than it’s worth. And they were kind of hot though…” He said dreamily.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Virgil snorted. “Your pansexual ass is attracted to literally everything that’s ever breathed in your general direction.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “And what’s wrong with that when everything is so pretty?!” Roman huffed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Logan checked their wrist, smiling fondly. “Roman, Virgil, it’s time you two get back to work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Awh!! But the cookies!!” Virgil whined. “They’re not done yeettt!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “And they won’t be for another ten minutes, Virgil. I’ll make sure to set some aside for you and Roman once they are completed.” Logan reassured their friend.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Fiiine.” Virgil relented. “But I expect one free drink as compensation tonight!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Expect no such thi-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Thanks, Lo!!” Virgil stuck his tongue out at Logan and left with Roman.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  As the two came out to the counter a familiar bubbly voice caught Roman’s attention. “Hello!!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Ah! Right on time!” Roman said to Virgil, not needing to face the counter to know it was the cute golden haired boy that Logan had a crush on. “The usual-” Roman started, turning around to face him before abruptly stopping himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “For me, yep! What about you, Dai?” The boy said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The reason Roman had cut himself off so violently stared at him, the same cold gaze with the same golden-amber eyes, one not quite matching the other. He had a beanie and a yellow and grey hoodie. His ears were pierced multiple times and he now had a septum ring where it had been absent last night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman bristled and so did the stranger. And at the same time they yelled, the stranger’s voice making it all the more clear it was the same person from the night before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “It’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Banter That Will BLOW Your Mind</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Roman Prince lives in a world where the population is split between super powered people and normal people. These super powers were soon named Flaire. And even though he desperately wished he had a Flaire of his own, Roman lives life working in a cat cafe alongside his coworkers, a few of which have Flaires. His life is fairly normal and tragically mundane until a local superhero crashes into his apartment.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>  "You're the guy from last night!!" The shorter man yelled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman scoffed offendedly. "And </span>
  <em>
    <span>you're </span>
  </em>
  <span>the fabulous bastard who broke my window!!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The golden haired boy piped up. "And I'm Patton!!" He said. The pair looked at him and his smile became sheepish. "Sorry, I felt left out. I'll just….wait over here for my order." He scampered back and away to a table where he tried oh so hard to look like he wasn't eavesdropping on the heated pair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman turned back to the man with off-colored eyes. "What are you even doing here?" He hissed. "Following me for something?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The short boy snorted. "No. Why would I follow </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" He said with something akin to distaste. "I just want a damn drink, alright, Sir Fabulous Bastard?" He finished his sentence with a scrunched up face, using his hands to make air quotes.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman crossed his arms and huffed. "Fine. What do you want, Ruiner of Windows?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "Just a m- black coffee."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman raised an eyebrow. "Anything else?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The man scrunched his shoulders and peered bitterly at the menu above. "And a blueberry muffin." He finally said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman let out a breath of air, trying to ignore the increasingly obvious glances and glares the man was getting from Virgil across the room, the thin man trying to look intimidating despite the multiple felines draped across his body. "Can I have a name for the order?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "Dai." The man said.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman raised an eyebrow and wrote 'Day' on the cup. "Dai huh? Isn't that a bit-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "I am </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> here to talk, idiot. I'll have you know that because of the ruckus you made I </span>
  <em>
    <span>lost</span>
  </em>
  <span> my target."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "Well maybe you shouldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>break people's windows</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Roman said, handing off the cup and order to Alice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "I had to hide </span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhere</span>
  </em>
  <span> and your little apartment just happened to be the perfect place."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "</span>
  <em>
    <span>That's</span>
  </em>
  <span> a load of bullshit. There were </span>
  <em>
    <span>plenty</span>
  </em>
  <span> of other places you could have hidden."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "No there </span>
  <em>
    <span>really</span>
  </em>
  <span> wasn't. I had to be completely hidden and there was only one place that wouldn't arouse suspicion and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>in your house, jackass</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "Oh so </span>
  <em>
    <span>I'm</span>
  </em>
  <span> the jackass here? For doing what? Being upset you </span>
  <em>
    <span>broke my fucking wind</span>
  </em>
  <span>-"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A lady with two children pointedly cleared her throat behind Dai, the other woman with her holding her hand. She looked significantly at the children and back up at the arguing pair.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman raised his hand in apology. "Sorry, ma'am." He turned back to Dai. "Listen I can't argue right now, but this isn't over, shorty!!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Dai made a noise and opened his mouth to talk before the golden haired boy took him by the arm and pulled him away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  A few minutes later Alice came out with the two boy's orders. "Patton and Dai?" She called, eyeing Patton as he played fondly with a calico cat named Truffle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Patton bounced up to the counter, Dai following slowly behind. "Thaaat's us!!" He trilled happily, following it with a short giggle.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He picked up his cup and skipped back to the table. Roman tuned out after that, knowing the drill at this point. Logan would come out with a small bag of three or four raspberry thumbprint cookies, and the two boys would talk while Patton finished his snack and coffee.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  That was how it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed</span>
  </em>
  <span> to go, anyway.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "You delusional </span>
  <em>
    <span>moron</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!" Dai's voice sounded and Roman looked up from his phone to see the furious boy. "My name's spelled with an 'I' dumbass!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman threw his hands up in defense. "Well how was I supposed to know that. I didn't know there was any other way to spell the name Dai!!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "Well you didn't ask, did you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "And you didn't tell me! What's the 'I' for anyway? Infuriating?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "That's what you've devolved into now? Childish name calling?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "Well you </span>
  <em>
    <span>look</span>
  </em>
  <span> child sized so how was I supposed to know you were above it? I was just trying to come down to your level, Prince </span>
  <em>
    <span>charming</span>
  </em>
  <span>."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  There was a small pause in which Dai seemed to ignore him before he snapped back to attention. "Oh sorry, are you done talking about </span>
  <em>
    <span>yourself</span>
  </em>
  <span> finally? I couldn't tell, all the noises coming out of your mouth all sound like the same annoying shit."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "You really are a little bitch aren't you?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  "I try." Dai sneered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman hardly noticed when Logan and Patton got up. Logan walked around the counter and placed a hand on Roman’s shoulder, Patton doing the same to Dai on the other side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey, Dai, maybe we should just leave the nice barista alone?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Roman, I do believe that you need to calm down a significant amount. You are going to scare the other customers.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman scrunched up his shoulders and crossed his arms. Dai looked at him through furious and challenging eyes. Roman looked away and out the window, letting Logan remove their hand from where it rested on his shoulder. Dai finally turned and started to walk away again.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Of course though, Roman couldn’t keep his dumb mouth shut. “The only one who’s gonna scare customers is this half sized asshole’s glare…” Roman muttered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Dai spun around, rage so explicit on his slowly reddening face. And if Roman didn’t know any better, he’d think he might have just seen the short boy’s left eye flicker- like static- for just a moment. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>What</span>
  </em>
  <span>?!” Dai shouted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman shrugged Logan’s hand’s off his shoulders this time. “Oh you heard that? Good! Because it’s TRUE! Your glare would kill </span>
  <em>
    <span>puppies</span>
  </em>
  <span> if they came too close! Maybe that’s why your friend took you to a cat cafe instead! Keep casualties to a minimum!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman swears he’s never seen someone more angry. “Listen here you janky ass smirking creton, you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>no</span>
  </em>
  <span>-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And suddenly Dai stopped. His eyes changed. His expression switched. Something was wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman ignored it. Like an idiot. “What? Ran out of clever things to say? Come now, I thought-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Dai clapped his hand over Roman’s mouth. </span>
  <em>
    <span>When had he jumped on the counter?</span>
  </em>
  <span> “Shut up for a moment…” He wasn’t looking at Roman anymore. Instead his off color eyes were searching the cafe for something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>This is just another stupid trick.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Roman thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Dai is gonna look at me with that stupid smirk and tell me something like ‘finally it’s quiet’ or something else just as-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Then Roman actually heard it. So did Virgil who had been watching everything from the back. And Roman only got the chance to see terror flash across his friend’s face before the thin man called to the cats in the cafe- his Flaire- gathering them in a corner of the room before Dai tackled Roman to the ground and screamed, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>DUCK</span>
  </em>
  <span>!!” Right as the ticking noise turned into a boom.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~*~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman’s ears were ringing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  His head hurt too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  There was someone on top of him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He tried to take a breath- No he coughed out a breath. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  There was smoke everywhere. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He remembered Virgil in the back…</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman gasped and tried to stand up, pushing the person off of him. “What-” He stumbled back into the back counter holding his head and wincing.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Finally everything stopped ringing enough that he could make out his own thoughts. He opened his eyes to a scene he never expected to witness.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The whole front quarter of the cafe was destroyed. Glass was everywhere and black charred marks seared the ground and ceiling.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman glanced over to where Virgil had been. He was crouched low to the ground and Roman could only suspect he was sheltering the cats with his body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He glanced over to see Logan on the ground next to him, a small cut above their eyebrow. They looked like they would be fine, as would Virgil.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The other customers in the shop looked to be relatively unscathed, as did Patton. How that had happened Roman could only guess.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman turned to see Alice standing in the doorway of the kitchen, he was glad to see she wasn’t hurt.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Dammit…” Dai spat as he stood up, looking around the wrecked cafe. “There’s no way they could have followed me here! How did they know...I could have </span>
  <em>
    <span>sworn…</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Dai!!” Patton made his way over to the short boy, a small crack in his big round frames. “What was that?! Do you think they could have followed you?” His voice was slightly hushed, as if it was a secret.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I don’t know…” Dai murmured. He pulled out his phone which was relatively undamaged and dialed a number, Roman didn’t bother to see what it was.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Instead he picked his way over to Virgil who was covered in small bits of rubble and dust. “Vee!! Virgil are you okay?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Virgil slowly sat up, moving from where he sheltered the small animals. “Y-yeah...I think I’ll be okay...I only noticed the sound in time to call them to me, but I think the cats are okay too…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Logan walked over to them with Alice by their side. “It seems a bomb went off…” They said, glasses missing from their face. They must have fallen off in the explosion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “No shit…” Alice said, looking around the wrecked cafe. “What are going to do now though?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  They all paused. What </span>
  <em>
    <span>were</span>
  </em>
  <span> they going to do?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Logan could easily find themself work in their aunt’s bakery while the cafe was being repaired, but for Virgil and Roman...it was a bit harder.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Virgil’s Flaire would make you think it’d be easy to find work in the animal industry, being able to command and talk to animals like that, but as it turned out, a lot of people didn’t trust him. He had gotten fired from his last job working in a veterinary clinic because too many people filed complaints saying he was too controlling with their animals. He’d been offered many jobs at local pounds and animal control facilities, but he turned them all down. He hated the idea of using his ability to only contain dangerous animals.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  And Roman...Well this job was his everything. He could probably find work elsewhere, but it would be hard to find some place that would pay as much as the job he had at the cafe. As it was, he was scraping by with just the cafe and his band. And he really didn’t want to have to take two jobs. And if worse came to worst, he might even be forced to drop out of the band until the cafe got repaired.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>What were they going to do now?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>~~*~~</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  The police showed up and started doing their work. Roman and his coworkers were released to go home finally. They all decided to follow Roman to the bar where he was scheduled to play that night. Thomas had joined them too. After their first few songs were done, they all sullenly drank together, mourning the loss of the cafe that had brought them all together.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Eventually Thomas spoke up. “I’ve recommended you all to different places.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Virgil’s head shot up. “You’ve what?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Calm down. Virgil, I recommended you to a rescue shelter. I covered your Flaire with them and they’re not bothered by it. Alice and Roman, I have a friend that owns a diner not too far from here, they said they’d be delighted to give you work while the cafe is being repaired. And Logan-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Logan held up their hand. “No need. I already contacted my aunt. She’s more than willing to let me work in her bakery. I thank you for the recommendation, Thomas, but I got this one covered.” They said, a sad, weathered smile finding its way to their lips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Virgil spoke up. “What about the cats? Where are they gonna go? I don’t want to just give them up to a shelter.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Thomas nodded. “Don’t worry about the cat’s Virgil. I know someone who owns a small farm who said that they’d take them in for a while. They’ll be safe and taken care of there, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Virgil relaxed and they all fell into a quietly bitter silence.</span>
</p>
<p>
  
  <em>
    <span>This shouldn’t have happened in the first place…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Roman thought. </span>
  <em>
    <span>By the sounds of it, it was the same person Dai was after last night…</span>
  </em>
  <span> Roman got up, telling the others he just needed to use the bathroom. He instead turned and found himself outside in an alleyway. “That means it’s my fault it happened…” Roman leaned against the wall and looked up at the light polluted night sky, only about ten stars visible. “If I hadn’t been so loud when Dai came in, maybe he could have caught that bastard…” Roman slid to the ground and hid his face in his chest, guilt eating at his stomach.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  He heard the door open behind him and he sighed, starting to stand up. “I don’t want to talk about it, Vee-” He stopped when he saw a short boy with golden eyes that didn’t quite match one another.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Dai leaned against the doorway, his gaze met Roman’s for a split second before trailing the opposite wall. “I didn’t know you played in a band.” He smirked. “You sound just </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman looked away. “What do you want...If you’re here to tell me it’s my fault, too late. I already-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I’m not here to scold you, dumbass.” Dai rolled his eyes. “I’m here to tell you that I’m sorry. It’s my fault your job got blown up and I’m sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman paused. “...You’re not sorry about the window-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Hey!! That might have been my fault too, but that one was unavoidable!” Dai yelled.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “Oh my god..AGAIN?! There were </span>
  <em>
    <span>plenty</span>
  </em>
  <span> other places you could have hidden!! It’s not like my apartment building was the only building on the street!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “How many times do I have to tell you that your house was the only place I could have hidden properly?!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  “I- ugh...you know what, forget it. My life literally just blew up in my face today…” Roman sighed and leaned back against the wall. “Just go away...Tell the purple haired boy to come and get me when I’m on next…”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>  Roman didn’t notice the way Dai’s eyes softened for a moment, the way they actually looked sad. He opened the door and before he left he paused. He opened his mouth to say something, but snapped it shut, swallowing the words, “You sound good, by the way…” Like hot coals.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I had tons of fun writing this chapter!! as I may or may not have implied or directly mentioned- I'm a  bit of roceit stan...<br/>I like the dynamics between two over dramatic and prideful assholes, and I loved giving the little glimpse at the end that Janus WANTS to make Roman feel better, but is too much of a dramatic and prideful asshole to admit it.<br/>Anyway, I hope you're enjoying Brilliance so for! Stay Fresh and Minty, friends!!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Have I ever mentioned that Rociet is a god tier ship? No? Anyway I love it with all the love in my heart and YEAH ROMAN'S NOT THE HERO HAHA!!<br/>I really loved the idea of Roman not having any powers and being really upset that he wasn't able to actually save anyone- at least not in the way he wants to be able to save people.<br/>And I though Janus as a grumpy hero that has zero time for other people's bullshit would be GOLD.<br/>Anyway I can't wait to share the rest of Brilliance with you guys!! Stay Fresh and Minty, folks!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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